“Elka has many strengths – intelligence, humor, and a restless spirit. Her intelligence is not just cognitive, but also emotional, artistic, and intuitive. Her humor has served her well, to get her through difficult times in her own life, and to empathize with others with a lightness that lifts their hearts. Her restless spirit keeps her moving on her journey of spiritual maturation, never content at being comfortable, always wanting to go deeper and see more clearly.”
- Rev. Dr. Linda Olson Peebles, Interim Senior Minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Rockville
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“Elizabeth is remarkably self-aware. Her time spent in therapy and her continued use of counseling resources has given her a depth and resilience that would be nice to see in more of our ministers. She accepts praise graciously and is open to constructive criticism and redirection.  She is deeply self-reflective, which she uses to better serve her congregation and improve her ministry.”
-Rev. Jim Eller, Minister Emeritus, All Souls Unitarian Church in Kansas City, MO

"Elizabeth's ministry has served as a beacon and source of strength: uplifting people, challenging them in sacred ways, and always reminding them that they are loved and important."
-Iris Chalk, youth member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Muncie, Luminary Leader and Worship Coordinator for GA Youth 2019-2020

“Elizabeth has served as a catalyst in bringing a feeling of joy and harmony to the congregation whereby we are truly functioning as a Beloved Community. We are impressed with her professionalism, communication skills, and compassion. ”
-Committee on Ministry of Hope Unitarian Church

​Greetings!

Thank you for taking this step of the journey with me. I am honored to be embarking on this adventure of mutual consideration with you. What an exciting process full of hope and promise.

I feel most alive engaging in the richness of congregational life. Journeying beside one another towards a profound vision of a world where everyone has what they need and knows their own worth. Whether in the awe of worship, beside a hospital bed, working through a disagreement, listening to youth share what is real for them in their lives, in the streets protesting injustice or getting to the heart of an important decision within committee work, congregational life is where I belong and feel my sense of purpose most strongly. I am honored to hold this call so dearly in my life. You can navigate through more information about who I am as a minister here.

I am a fourth generation Unitarian Universalist. I believe very strongly in our faith tradition. Given our rich history and my family’s connections with it, I feel a strong sense of responsibility to nurture this faith into our future. You can read about my call story here. 

I also come from good ministry stock. I joke that it is our family business. While I grew up with my mother and maternal grandfather (now deceased) as minister role models, we have since added quite a few more ministers to our ranks. My parents and my brother are all partnered with female ministers. Including myself and my spouse that brings us to six ministers in my immediate family and it certainly is interesting. I sometimes forget that most families don’t discuss liturgy and stewardship around the dinner table.    

I share my call to ministry with my spouse, Seth. We also share our love of sci-fi television shows, reading, spicy food and being outdoors, especially near water. He is an incredible dad to our four young children: Mirabelle (10), Theo (8), Elias (6) and Phoebe (3). We also share our home by the beach with two dogs. To say that our marriage has been full is quite the understatement. Our lives and our hearts overflow. You can learn more about me personally and my family here. 

I have a rich history both personally and professionally. I grew up deeply entrenched in congregational life as a ministers kid. I became actively involved in denominational leadership within Unitarian Universalism as a youth. I have been a leader in congregations ranging in size from family to large all over the country. You can look at my resume here. 

While I go by Elizabeth professionally, this is a relatively new development. Many of my friends and close colleagues call me Elka, a nickname that has journeyed through most of my life with me. I prefer Elizabeth to be used on public documents and am happy to be called Elizabeth, Elka or either name with the hard earned title of Rev. preceding them. 

I am genderqueer. When people refer to me using they/them pronouns it feels especially wonderful. You will find mostly she/her pronouns in the quotes in this website, because those were my pronouns at the time that they were written. I use gender neutral terms to describe myself and feel seen when others do so as well. My gender expression is very fluid. 

I am a creative embodied person who enjoys deeply engaging with the world. I love spending time connecting with nature, other humans and creatures of all kinds. I am very social and love being in the midst of a crowded party especially if there is dancing involved. I enjoy movies and good television for their artistic and entertainment value. My yoga practice helps me to find balance.

This process of discernment is a deeply spiritual endeavor. Finding a minister who you will entrust with the well being of your congregation is profound work. We all want what is best for your congregation – a minister who will lead you through this next phase of your journey. 
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​Blessings,
Elizabeth